Construction: November 2009 Archives

Friday the 13th, of November 2009.

The foundation continues. This week saw the foundation sealed and plumbing and radiant heat coils added.




Pictured below are an addition to the Superior Walls. These are Simpson Tie Downs. These were required because of structural issues with the large amount of window to wall dimensions. Instead of the regular tiedowns (the taller metal straps) we had the 'Simpson' style tie-downs manufactured (smaller metal footer items) and per the State review and the engineer we added 29 of these around the perimiter of the foundation walls.

It has been an unnecessarily long and drawn out year of trying to get this house built.  We've waded through countless bids and considered every route from stick built to various levels of prefabrication.  The gory details can wait until it is finished, but at long last it is moving forward - with a functional plan and people in place to get the job done. 

The final recipe is:

1. Architectural Design by Rapson Architects based on the Case Study House # 4
2. Factory and Prefab coordination and consulting by Walter Bestwick.
3. Prefab Foundation by Superior Walls.
4. Prefab house construction built in the Penn Lyon factory in Selinsgrove, PA
5. Site prep and on-site finishing by Hidden Valley Construction. (who have been fantastic!)